Counter mechanism



P 1945. H. N. BLISS COUNTER MECHANISM Filed Dec. 17, 1941 HARVEY NPatented Apr. 3, 1945 2,312,659,. COUNTER MECHANISM Harvey N. Bliss,

Windsor, Conn, Veeder-Root Incorporated,

lssignor to Hartford, Conn, a

corporation of Connecticut Application December 17,

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to counter mechanisms of the typeincluding a plurality of progressively operated numeral wheels.

It is customary to enclose such counters to protect the mechanism fromdirt, unauthorized tampering, and to permit ready reading of the wheelsthrough a sight opening or window which exposes only the numerals inalignment with the starting or zero position.

The object of the present invention is to provide a coimter mechanismhaving a casing which serves the afore-indicated purposes andadditionally permits readymounting of the counter mechanism in thecasing, enables alignment of the numerical indicia on the wheels withthe sight opening to assure accurate indications, and so exposes thecounter mechanism when certain parts of the casing are removed as topermit ready adjustment or repair without removing the mechanism fromthe casing.

Another object is to provide an improved arrangement having a casingwhich can be readily made of stamped metal parts or of moldablematerials, butdoes not require great accuracy in the manufacture of theparts, is of sturdy construction, and can be economically manufacturedin large quantities.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplifled in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the casing incorporating the inventionherein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view with the casing in section show the details ofconstruction thereof; and Figure 3 is an end view of the casing partlyin section to show the details of construction.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a casing in which there ismounted a counter mechanism B having a plurality of wheels ill havingnumerical indicia H on their peripheries, said wheels being rotatablymounted on a shaft l2. The counter B illustrated in the presentapplication is similar to that shown and fully described in theeopending application to the same inventor, Serial No. 376,501, filedJanuary 29, 1941, and, except when necessary for an understanding of thepresent invention, no further description will be made. v

More specifically, the casing A comprises a 1941, Serial N5. 423,283

substantially rectangular base plate I having an integral, invertedU-shaped supporting frame It and removable side closures it. Asindicated, the supporting frame l6 includes vertical legs 20 ariswith alongitudinally extending sight opening or window 24 of such length andwidth as to expose one numerical space on each of the numeral wheels I0.

In addition, each of the vertical legs 20 is provided with alongitudinally extending opening or hearing 28 for rotatably supportingthe shaft II. The openings 26 are arranged in horizontal alignment witheach other, and their centers preferably lie in a vertical planeextending through the center of the sight opening 24. Thus when shaft I2is supported therein, it will be centrally disposed relative to thewindow 24.

Also supported on the base plate H are a pair of longitudinally spaced,upwardly extending columns 30 having aligned openings 32 for supportinga shaft 34. The shaft 34 in turn supports the transfer pinions 28 whichare positioned between each pair of successively higher order wheels.

Considering the construction to the mechanism will be ready foroperation, and inasmuch as accurate alignment of the wheels has beenaccomplished, the subsequent reading through the sight opening will alsobe accurate.

The casing further includes side closures ll of the end walls 40 whichare in the form of rectangular blocks or plates corresponding inconfiguration to the openings presented by the opposite sides of thebase and U-shaped supporting frame, but being slightly larger than saidopenings so that the margins of the inner faces of the plates slightlyoverlie the opposing edges of the U-shaped frame and the under surfacesof the plates rest upon the base to opposite sides of the U-shapedmember. In the present illustrative disclosure, these closures are shownfor purposes of illustration as being in the form of shell-likestructures each having an outer wall 36, a top wall 38, and end walls40,

To accurately align and position the side closures on the base, the topinner edge of each closure is rabbeted or recessed as at 42 so as toprovide a vertical face 43 engaging against the side surface of the topcross portion member 22 and the lip 44 receivable beneath said crossmember. In addition, the vertical legs 20 of the U frame are rabbeted orrecessed as at 46 and the inner edges of the closures extend into theserabbets. It will be seen that in accordance with this arrangement thecounter mechanism is completely enclosed within a substantiallydustproof casing.

Inasmuch as the closure members l8 cooperate with the inner peripheraledge of the U-shaped member Hi, the four corners of the base plate M areleft uncovered and are provided with an opening 48 permitting theinsertion of suitable securing screws to mount the casing onto anydesired mechanism. Because of this it is not necessary to provideadditional projecting lugs for securing the casing in place, and,likewise, inasmuch as the base plate i4 is directly secured, a morerigid mounting is assured.

The closure members i8 may be secured in position in any suitable way;in the embodiment illustrated this being accomplished by providing anarm 50 which extends inwardly from and at right angles to the outer walland is provided at its inner end with a threaded opening 52, When theclosure is positioned with its inner edge in proper abuttingrelationship with the U frame, the opening 52 will be in line with anopening 54 provided in the base plate to permit the insertion of aproper securing screw 56.

With the closure members so secured, it will be seen that when thecounter is mounted with its base plate secured to an underlying plate,it is the side closure members without initially removing the entirecasing from its mounting. If, however, it should be desired to make anyadjustment or to clean or repair the counter, it is apparent that byremoving the side closure members, or at least one of them,substantially the entire counting mechanism is exposed in such a manneras to permit free access thereto.

From the foregoing it will also be seen that the casing comprisesrelatively few parts which impossible to remove can be convenientlymanufactured, and due to the fact that the side closures are so made asto have their inner peripheral edges telescoped within the U frame, noaccurate machining of the parts is required. As a result, it is possibleto manufacture this type of casing at extremely low cost and out ofvarious types of widely different materials.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all Of the generic and specific features ofthe invention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to failtherebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. .In a counter mechanism, a casing comprising a rectangular baseplate, an inverted U- shaped frame formed integrally with and of lesserwidth than said base plate and having vertical legs arising centrallyfrom the ends of said base plate and a top member interconnecting saidlegs and having a longitudinally extending sight opening therein, and a.pair of identical closure members disposed to opposite sides of saidframe and each comprising a hollow shell having an outer wall, a topflange and end flanges. the bottom edges of said closure members restingon said base plate and the inner edges of the flanges of said closuremembers being in abutting engagement with said U-shaped frame adjacentthe inner margins thereof; means for securing said closures in position,a shaft supported in the casing, said shaft being parallel to said topmember and being disposed beneath said sight opening therein, and aplurality of counter wheels carried by said shaft below said sightopening, said counter wheels having a diameter greater than the width ofsaid u-shaped frame and extending into said shelllike closure members.

2. In a counter mechanism, a casing comprising a rectangular base plate,an inverted U- shaped frame formed integrally with and of lesser widththan said base plate and having vertical legs arising centrally from theends of said base plate and a top member interconnecting said legs andhaving a longitudinally extending sight opening therein, and a pair ofidentical closure members disposed to opposite sides of said frame andeach comprising a hollow shell having an outer wall, a top flange andend flanges, the bottom edges of said closure members resting on saidbase plate and the inner edges of said end flanges of said closuremembers being in abutting engagement with said vertical legs adjacentthe inner margins thereof, the inner edges of said top flanges beingrabbeted and receiving the inner edges of said top member of said frame;means for securing said closures in position and comprising an armcarried by and extending inwardly from each outer wall of each closuremember and provided with a threaded opening adjacent its inner end, andscrews extending through said base plate and threaded into saidopenings; a shaft supported in the casing, said shaft being parallel tosaid top member and being disposed beneath said sight opening therein,and a plurality of counter wheels carried by said shaft below said sightopening, said counter wheels having a diameter greater than the width ofsaid U-shaped frame and extending into said shell-like closure members.

HARVEY N. BLISS.

